The Viragous Regnant

Chapter 3

She figured out a way to talk to him, she asked, "What do you mean by Dharma putra??"

He sat up right, started to scratch his head, a confused look over his face, he was trying very hard to remember the meaning of this word which he had heard a lot of time. Karenumati just smiled to herself after seeing her son's action, after all he was just 6 years old.

He shut his eyes tightly and started to click his fingers, trying to remember something. Karenumati saw her younger self in him, she would do the same thing, when she would not be able to remember something.

"Ya!! Got it.." he exclaimed, a huge smile adorned his face. He continued, " On the day of Rajsuya Yajna, Prati bhaiya, Sutasoma bhaiya and Yaudheya Bhaiya were discussing about Dharma, they told me that tatshree Yudishtira is know as Dharamraj, he's the righteous man of the aryavart!!"

Renu's heart sank after listening the word Rajsuya Yajna-the day her father died. He was evil to the world, but he loved Renu the way every father loves his daughter! Renu accepted that his father's death was for the betterment of the society, but somewhere in her heart, it ached after hearing that word Rajsuya Yajna!!

She immediately shifted this thought away and asked Mitra, "..but this is not the answer to my question my child.. "

Mitra thought hard.

"If tatshree is known as Dharamraj so whatever he'll do will be the act of righteousness.. So.. Never lying, always respecting your elder is what Dharma is! " he said with proud in his voice, as if he conquered the whole world.

Karenumati made Mitra sit on her lap and said in voice loathed with honey,
"My boy, Dharma is something which can't be defined, it's not like a rule book, where certain points are jotted down and if you follow those then only you'll be called righteous. Dharma is a way of living, it's a path towards moksha, and you know the best part of Dharma is that it can be moulded, changed according to the circumstances. Something which is Dharma at one situation, could be considered as Adharma at another! "

"How Ma?? " asked he.

"Telling you.. Wait.. " she makes him sit before her and continues, "If I order you, Mitra don't go near the river.. and if you will not obey me it'll be considered as adharma, but if you know there's a boy who's drowing in the river, then what will you do? "

"I'll save him.. "

"But I ordered you not to go to the river.. won't it'll be Adharma?? "
He opened his mouth to say something but immediately shut it.

Renu smiled she knew she was going in the right direction.

"It won't be adharma my child, you are saving someone's life,and if you didn't go to save that boy then you'll be doing an adharma.. Now you got my point.."

"Yes.. Ma.. But still I'm a bit confused! "

"As you will grow up you'll understand everything! " she continued, "Do you know what a game of dice is? "

He nodded and signalled towards the chauser board kept in her room.

"Do you know what staking is? " she shot another question. He replied in negative.

"OK!! Take an example we are playing dice, and I stake my pen and you stake your sword, If I win then your sword will be mine and if I loose then my pen will be yours! "

He nodded. Now the toughest part of this conversation was about to come, Renu knew it very well, she took his hands in hers, "My child, your Tatshree Yudishtira went to play the dice game at Hastinapur, at tatshree Duryodhan's place, and they both staked their Palace's, their army and unfortunately your tatshree Yudishtira lost all.."